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PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has ordered that the security call-out in Hela be expanded to address the unrest in Enga and Southern Highlands.

The call-out is allowed under the existing order for Hela, he said in a statement.
“Our patience has ended with troublemakers in both Enga and Southern Highlands,” O’Neill said.

“The call-out will enable defence and police personnel to work together to maintain order.

“There will be zero-tolerance for any further interruptions to law and order, and community safety.

“The behaviour we are witnessing by small groups is totally unacceptable and is impacting on the lives of men, women and children in these areas.”

O’Neill warned people seeking to cause disruptions that they would be arrested by the disciplined forces and tried for criminal acts.

He said the situation was so different to the relative calm experienced during the recent general election in the Highlands.

“Throughout the campaigning and voting periods, we saw a big change in attitude in these areas,” O’Neill said.

“It is disappointing that towards the end of counting, we are seeing this unruly behaviour. I call on community leaders to work with the disciplined forces, and help to prevent anti-social behaviour in your areas.”

The call-out for Hela early this year was to address the issue of illegal guns and tribal fights before the election process began.

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill wants to bring back for debate the proposal to reserve 22 seats in Parliament for women.
He told a breakfast meeting with the business community in Port Moresby yesterday that he would bring it up with his coalition partners and Opposition MPs.
The proposal is to have two governors – one male and one female – in each of the 22 provinces. It guarantees at least 22 women in the House.

He said it should not stop women from contesting the other 89 Open seats.
“I’m quite disappointed that there is no woman is in this parliament,” O’Neill said.
“Woman’s representation in parliament has been a subject of discussion for many years. Even the previous government had tried to do some legislative reforms to bring more representation of women into parliament. But those who objected most were women themselves.”A motion to have 22 reserved seats for women in Parliament was defeated in the House in 2014 after intensive lobbying.

But O’Neill said he would discuss the idea again with his coalition partners and Opposition MPs before it could be re-tabled in Parliament.
“I can assure you that I will be discussing this with our coalition partners and see if we can get the reserved seats – bring some women representatives into parliament as appointed members,” he said.

Digicel Foundation chief executive Beatrice Mahuru brought up the issue during yesterday’s breakfast. She asked O’Neill what his government planned to do before the next general election in 2022 to address the lack of female representation in Parliament.
O’Neill said “going forward, we need to have a long-term solution”.
“Just appointing members to reserved seats is not the way to go into the future,” he said.
He said he supported the idea of having one male governor and one female governor “but elected by everyone” in each province. It will mean expanding to a 133-member Parliament.

“I’ve been personally supportive of that option because that immediately gives 22 women to go into parliament,” he said.
“That option does not restrict the women from running in the open seats. They can compete with their male counterparts for the open seats.

“But for the regional seats at least, you can have some fair representations.
“Those are the options we will look at over the course of this term (of parliament). I will prefer a bipartisan approach in this regard. We will start talking with our colleagues on the other side and see how we could go.”

Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa, Lands and Physical Planning Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Police Minister Jelta Wong, have been called on to confirm the cancellation of all SABL – Special Agricuture and Business Leases.

“We congratulate the new ministers on their appointments, but we are urging them to immediately address the SABL issue which has been plaguing our country for far too long”, says Eddie Tanago, campaign co-ordinator for the community advocacy group ACT NOW!

“In March, the Prime Minister publicly declared all SABL are unlawful and their cancellation was publicly confirmed by the Minister for Lands in April. Both men said any leaseholders remaining on SABL land were there illegally.

“However, we are receiving reports from around the country that foreign companies are still occupying SABL land, that logging and oil palm operations are still ongoing and police are intimidating and harassing the lawful landowners.

“We are calling on the new Ministers to confirm all the SABL have been cancelled, all SABL logging operations stopped and all police personnel withdrawn from the SABL areas,” he said.

Police Commissioner Baki to Invite PM for Interview

The Waigani National Court refused to entertain an application for an extension on the stay order on the warrant of arrest for the Prime Minister, Honourable Peter O’Neill on Tuesday this week.

Since then there has been numerous comments made by people from all facets of the PNG community, both in the mainstream as well as social media.

Most are asking what action the police will take and when.

As Commissioner of Police I welcome the decision of the court as it now paves the way for us to move forward on this matter.

Since the Court decision I have had consultations with my senior officers on the case. I want the people of Papua New Guinea to appreciate that this is a very sensitive and delicate matter involving the Prime Minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. It comes during the formation of the government and amid election related clashes in at least three highland provinces which has left more than 10 people dead so far.

Against this background there is a need to thread carefully.

That being said, by way of background, a warrant of arrest was issued for Prime Minister O’Neill in 2014. A Judicial Review was sought on two grounds, that the Chief Magistrate when issuing the Warrant of Arrest acted without or in excess of her jurisdiction when no information was laid, and that the warrant also did not disclose an offence known in law and departs from elements of offence of official corruption prescribed by Section 87 of the Criminal Code.

However, the Court in its ruling on Tuesday rejected these grounds of review and dismissed the proceedings as an abuse of process.

The option now open in this matter is for the Commissioner of Police, myself, to invite the Prime Minister to come in for an interview. This is not a requirement by law but an existing and established protocol the Constabulary has engaged over the years for leaders and high profile people. After all, the premise is that everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and so leaders with standing in the society must be respectfully dealt with.

I have had an executive brief on the case made available to me by Director Fraud and Anti Corruption Chief Superintendent Mathew Damaru through Assistant Commissioner Crimes Victor Isouve.

It must be appreciated that actions on this investigation leading up to the issuance of the warrant of arrest were taken prior to my appointment as Police Commissioner. In fact I am the second Commissioner in office after the warrant of arrest was issued for the Prime Minister. However, neither myself, nor the previous Police Commissioner have been made privy to or have had an appreciation of the investigation.

I will now be engaging my Assistant Commissioner Crimes and Director Fraud and his team to assist me to fully appreciate the case after which I will invite the Prime Minister to come in for the interview.

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​***Councilors’ Actions Condemned***

The Central Province police boss has condemned the actions of certain village councilors and leaders who have been preventing candidates from entering their villages.

Provincial commander Laimo Asi said they have identified certain leaders who have been rejecting candidates, who are not from their village, from conducting campaigns in their areas.

“This attitude is bad and not healthy for the community. How could a so-called leader do such bias practice in your community? We all come from the same district.”

The provincial police commander says such practices are the beginning of bad leadership and corrupt attitude.

“I want to encourage all the people in Central Province to make use of this opportunity by allowing every individual candidates contesting in their respective electorate to visit their community/ward to conduct their campaign so that people must have the opportunity to ask questions and gauge their view to elect their member with their own choice.”

The PPC further says people’s mind must not be controlled by money or food.

***Port Moresby General Hospital Doctor Beaten by Police***

A medical doctor doing his residency at the Port Moresby General Hospital Labour ward was beaten by Policemen on Wednesday night.

The young doctor will not be assisting mothers and babies in the Labour ward, because his eyes are completely shut and he has become partially deaf as a result of the beating.

Senior doctors say there is a shortage of doctors working with mothers and babies. Dr. Berry Newman’s inability to work will cause complications at the Labour ward.

This morning Professor Ikau Kevau, Dr. Osborne Liko and other senior doctors condemned the beating of the young medical officer.

The doctors collectively demanded action from the Police Commissioner and his deputies.

They’ve made the call after one of their own was badly beaten by cops in Tokarara.

“I dropped my sister and was turning back to Tokarara, they approached me when I stopped to change my tyres, they said I dropped off criminals and six of them punched and one kicked me on the right side of my ear,” said Dr. Newman.

Dr. Newman is now nursing serious injuries which will stop him from working at the Labour Ward.

He is part of a team of young doctors being trained to save the lives of mothers and babies.

But after the beating, he is deaf in the left ear and his eyes are completely shut. The injuries could become permanent.

“My right ear is not working anymore, I cannot see anymore. I don’t know why i was beaten up, I chose this career path to serve the people of this country,” the Labour ward trainee says.

Dr. Newman told EMTV News that he was taken to Waigani Police station where a policeman told him he could pick up his car in the morning after he pays the boys.

” They told me to go wash my face and treat myself, and then bring some money [so that] I can get my car,” Newman said.

Senior doctors at Port Moresby General Hospital say the matter will not be taken lightly. It will be taken to the Police Commissioner for the matter to be addressed.

Doctors are respected in the society for their services to health. The incident has brought disgrace to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

Members of the public have gone on social media outraged by the actions of a few policemen tarnishing the reputation of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

***Boy Raped by Women***

Three women are in police custody after allegedly raping a 17 year old grade 9 student attending Kimbe Grammer in West New Britain.

According to Kimbe police reports the teenager was on his way to his neighbours house when was stopped by one of the perpetrators and forced to flirt, smoke drugs and consume alcohol.

According to the West New Britain Provincial Health Authority (PHA) health workers confirmed that the victim is suffering from a damaged swollen penile tissue caused by the continuous abuse and rape he endured.

Health sources said that the victim is under medication and is receiving medical check for other related infections.

Health officers at PHA told the Post Courier that the victim was tricked into smoking brus (tobacco) which had been mixed with marijuana that made him dizzy as he was then taken into the house and was raped by the three women.

Mother of the victim (name withheld) said that this behaviour is not good and the three women do not have respect for themselves and that they are a disgrace to their family and the community.

“These women are from Sepik, Arowe and Tolai and are all married women who drugged my son and raped him. Basically they took advantage of him,” she said.

Meanwhile, statement and comments from the police could not be reached however it is believed that the trio have been in police custody since Wednesday.